The party is about to leave the warden's chambers when a massive molten dragon rears up from the pool of lava. "How dare you intrude upon Mesianth, the hound of Baphomet?!" he bellows, and attacks. Mesianth begins combat by casting spells. Using a series of maze and dismissal spells, he elimates Nor, Lor, and Loki. Then, with well-placed walls of fire , the dragon separates Malak and Arthas. Malak rushes forward, while Arthas takes a position on the bridge over the lava. A few moments later, a second foe enters the room. This the ancient drow Svendack, one of Baphomet's deadliest mortal priestesses. Keeping her distance, she flings spells at the two remaining heroes as they engage the magma wyrm. Fortunately, by this time, Malak has almost finished off Mesianth. Augmented by a powerful transformation spell, he faces the dragon in hand-to-hand combat, while Arthas both aids him and keeps Svendack at bay. With a few mighty strokes of Ashbringer , Mesianth is dead! Malak flies toward Svendack. It is at this point that Malak commits an error in tactics. Frustrated by the anti-life shell which protects Svendack, the draconic disciple casts his own antimagic field . This has the intended effect, disrupting Svendack's various protective spells... but unfortunately, Malak has underestimated the drow's combat prowess. The priestess simplya ttacks with her glaive and Malak, wounded from the encounter with Mesianth, quickly falls. Arthas cannot heal his companion, for the antimagic shell persists even while Malak is unconcious. The paladin chases Svendack off with arrows, then grabs his friend and drags him back into the prison maze. A few tense hours pass. Arthas cannot tend to Malak in any magical way, so he tries to staunch his unconcious friend's bleeding with a strip of his tunic. The draconic disciple remains unconcious, and Arthas has a sinking feeling that Svendack is using the time to regroup. Sure enough, the drow eventually appears, escorted by two demodands. Using her amulet of Baphomet , she assumes the form of huge minotaur and attacks! Fortunately, Malak's antimagic field expires at about the same time that these latest foes appear. Arthas whispers a prayer of thanks to Erastil as he revives his friend. With Arthas and Malak working together, the two demodand guards quickly fall. Svendack is more difficult to defeat, but she eventually falls to Ashbringer . But her defeat comes at a price-- for before she falls, she slays Arthas with a single slice of her unholy glaive. When the battle ends Malak stands in the hall, dreadfully wounded and totally alone. Everyone who played gains 150,000 XP. Furthermore, the defeat of both Mesianth and Svendack are considered mythic trials.
